Monday, May 28, 2012

I love Unity! Believe me or don't,
Unity was one of the main reasons why I chose Ubuntu as my new OS. I
found it to be simple to a fault, and I liked the way it made almost
complete omission of menu navigation. In windows, I had my favorite
applications pinned to the start menu because I dislike having a
cluttered desktop, but although this helped me keep things clean, it
also meant I had to click the start button, and sort through a menu
containing many things other than my favorite programs. Ubuntu has a
dedicated “launcher” designed for this specific purpose, so in
Ubuntu, once I pin a particular program to Launcher, its only a
simple matter of clicking on its icon to get it started. I hardly
ever use the lenses, since Unity makes sorting through menus nearly
obsolete. Only if I'm looking for some obscure software which name I
can't remember, or if I can't remember what it does, or what the icon
even looks like, will I then search manually through all the
“installed software” menu. Know this however, if this has
happened five times, since I started using Ubuntu, it may be too
many; no exaggeration. What does happen often instead, is a search by
keyword. I read, not long ago in some guy's blog that one of the
reasons he hated Unity so much was that it took him about five
minutes to find Terminal in the Applications lens; I
also saw a video on youtube, where this other guy complains about not
being able to find an app, all the while his cursor hovers right
under the search box. I almost wanted to post a comment saying:
“Dude, type in the box for sanity's sake! Whatever program youre
looking for will turn up in less than a second flat!” But I know
any comment contradicting high convictions will only serve to elevate
them, so I don't waste myself with such endeavors (comments where
disabled anyway). Still, I would like to share with those who would
first listen and consider all things well, before reaching any kind
of conclusion, that the part of Unity which makes menu navigation
mostly unnecessary is in fact the search function in the Unity Dash.
When I first installed Ubuntu, one of the first things I wanted to
know, was if it came with any type of photo editing software. Since
searching through the whole, installed software list seemed a bit
daunting, I instinctively gave search a try, and seeing how only
Shotwell Photo Manager turned up, I went and installed Gimp. Truth be
told, I did play with everything for a good while, to see where
everything was and how things worked, but I took to Unity right away.

Researching the reasons why people hate
Unity has turned up few useful answers. Most of the time what I found
people complaining about was Unity not being Gnome2, and while this
is understandably a valid reason from a personal standpoint, I hardly
think that any one thing should be hated for not being something
else. I also think that to condemn any system; saying it is flawed,
because you stubbornly refuse to use it properly, is grossly unfair.
Taking more than a few seconds to find any application in Unity
should only happen if you have no idea what you are looking for, but
if you know that the Ubuntu command line interface is called
“Terminal” then type terminal in the search box. Even if you
don't know the name, but you know what the program is used for, you
can find it. For example, typing the word “command” (as in
command line interface) will also bring up terminal. Likewise, typing
the words “photo” or “image” will summon icons for Gimp,
Inkscape and any other related software. Unity is still in a very
early stage of its development and so is gnome3 they both have a long
way to go before everything settles down as far as its usability.
Lets be fair, Unity is far from perfect, but I believe that in the
near future, menu navigation as we know it will become extinct. The
only way to move forward is to embrace the future with any blessings
or shortcomings it may bring. Let go of the past, let go of the old,
and lets move on to new things. The amount of data that computers can
store today is astronomical. How will terabytes of data be managed by
the average user? My old Windows system has so many programs
installed that its very difficult to find anything, and it being
Windows XP means I don't have a search function like Windows 7. Just
imagine if there where no search engines for the Internet and instead
we had to rely on some kind of menu to find anything. Does that sound
feasible? So what's happening as far as I can tell, is that the world
of the personal computer is finally letting go of the old, “linear”
way of accessing data and catching up with the world of “hypermedia”
and the Internet, which by the way, is nothing new. So if you're
going to raise your fist in protest about something, do it for the
right reasons, and learn to give possibility half a fighting chance
before you precipitate in your judgement, in order to make those
reason valid.

Now, speaking of valid reasons, there
are some very valid reasons to complain about Unity and Ubuntu in
general. The launcher bar. I like it, but it does have some annoying
traits. It's cool that it hides itself when a window bumps into it,
but its irritatingly eager to pop back out as soon as the mouse
pointer comes anywhere near the vicinity of the left side of the
screen. This counter-productive behavior constantly gets in your way.
The launcher will “jump” on to of any icons or pallets found on
the left edge of programs like Inkscape or the vertical ruler in Gimp
when you're trying to pull out a new guide, which is probably the
reason why you have the option to either enable or disable the auto
hide feature in Ubuntu 12.04 Lts. Another trait I find terribly
distasteful, is the fact that the developers felt it necessary to
epoxy the darn thing to the left of the screen. Come on, even Windows
98 let you move the task bar around (which I often did). I find this
rigidity a bit perverse, but not necessarily counter-productive, as I
prefer task bars and such standing vertically along the monitor's
edge when using a wide screen ratio; I just like them to be on the
right side. But these factors are just annoyances more than anything,
and while there are many such things in Ubuntu, the real issues would
be less than apparent to those who would complain about the trivial
ones. Developers are having real problems with certain
compatibilities, like programs not running or crashing. Even messing
with Compiz can tear down the Unity desktop since it relies heavily
on certain Compiz configurations. Upgrading from one version of
Ubuntu to another can easily decimate your installation and I hate
that the package manager is almost always, at least, one build behind
with the available software. There are many more things, but these
have more to do with the OS itself than Unity, and besides, such
instabilities have been known to plague other operating systems. The
truth for me is that most of us won't face certain issues, because
they are, by nature, more likely to happen to advanced users. Nothing
is perfect in the world of mortal men, but I think the benefits far
out-weight any lurking evils in my case.

We should voice our concerns, and if we
either like or dislike something, we should let it be known. I
believe this is not only our right, moreover, its our duty. Modern
technology has enabled us to transmit our ideas beyond any
recognizable boundaries, but as we convey our thoughts through these
vehicles, we should also do our best to use them responsibly. One can
be assertive without being offensive. I say this because I want to
make clear, that although I'm defending my choice of OS, I in no way
intend to criticize or scold anyone for what they chose to be their
preference. Use what works I often say. Maybe you use Windows at
home, but a Mac may be more appropriate for the tasks at the office.
They're only operating systems, lets face it. Besides, I'm sure no
one reading this would change his or her name If I switched to Arch
Linux.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Since I recently had to
reinstall Ubuntu 11.10 some of the inherent problems of the operating
system have resurfaced. Most have been corrected through updates, but
some remain, which are persistent to the point of recurring in
version 12.04 Lts. Among these, an issue most relevant to digital
artists is the usability of a digitizing tablet such as my old wacom
6x8. As any digital artist will probably tell you, freehand painting with a
mouse simply doesn't offer an intuitive way of applying your
creativity to the digital canvas. Thus, tablet functionality is
essential for any operating system hoping to appeal to digital
artists; particularly to those who do commercial work like myself.

The good news is, that
Ubuntu now offers tablet support from the start and even features a
nice configuration utility that works through the graphic user
interface. No need for command line input.

The bad news is that this
utility is very limited in terms of what you can actually configure,
unlike the windows driver which allows configuration for just about
every input feature the tablet has. Another problem that arises in
some cases (as in my case) is one where the tablet pen “sticks”,
meaning when you press the tip against the tablet surface the “click”
event will remain active even after the pen's tip has been lifted
away from the tablet. If you click an icon and drag it to another
place on the desktop with your pen for example, you will continue to
drag the icon around even after no contact between the pen and the
tablet remains, and you have to move the pen really far away from the
tablet for it to release. This is an intensely irritating issue and
one that renders your wonderful and expensive tablet completely
useless.

One thing I've come to
like about Ubuntu, and Linux in general is that it being open source
means just about any problem that arises can be resolved. The better
part of it is that this particular debacle is quite easy to fix.

I won't go into
unnecessary details about how the driver works or its history, simply
because it's something I don't fully understand yet, but please note
that it is an independent driver created by some really kind people
from the Linux community and like most software of its kind, its
under constant development, so expect it to get better as time
passes.

Okay, all we have to do to
fix this problem is make some small alterations to a configuration
file. This is all we have to do, but to do it, we first need to
identify the tablet hardware in our system and then bypass some of
Ubuntu's security features so it allows us to edit the configuration
file. We'll take it one step at a time.

First lets locate the file
we need to edit. The file path is:
[/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-wacom.conf] (without the brackets).
This means the file's name is 50-wacom.conf
and /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d
is the directory or the series of folders where the file is found.
Once the file is located you can double click on it and it should
open in “Gedit”. Gedit is ubuntu's default text editor. What you
should see, is a lot of text divided in small groups or “sections”.
These contain instructions on how the tablet hardware is recognized
and what the system should do with it. What we have to do now is edit
some of the entries present and create some new ones. Do notice
however, that any changes we do to the file at this point become null
because the save function has been disabled. This is because you need
administrative privileges to do so. So lets back up a bit so we can
remediate this.

Now,
advanced users, please bear with me, since I'm writing this with the
absolute beginner in mind.

Do
not be afraid, we are going to use the command line interface, aka:
“Terminal”. Either click the
“Dash” icon and type “terminal” in the search bar to look it
up or press “ctrl alt T” on your keyboard to bring it up.
Remember, the ominous plain purple box now staring at you is your
friend, so don't freak out. We'll only be using a couple of simple
commands in order to see how your system identifies your tablet. Now
type: [lsusb] (without the brackets) and press enter. A list of all
USB devices currently connected to your computer will appear. Look
for a line that describes your tablet, such as: [Bus 004
Device 002: ID 056a:0042 Wacom Co., Ltd Intuos2 6x8].
All we need is the last part (Intuos2 6x8
in my case), which describes the particular model in use. Keep
Terminal open, since we'll need its information to alter the
50-wacom.conf file a
bit later.

At
this point we'll again locate the 50-wacom.conf
file in:/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/,
but we'll do it a little different now. What we are going to do
before we access the file is temporarily elevate our user privileges
to “super user” or “root” as it is often called. For this
we'll call again on our trusted purple friend: “Terminal”.
Without closing the prior Terminal window, lets open a new one; it'll
make it easier for you, trust me.

In
the new terminal window we will use two commands. The first one is
called [sudo], this the part that will grant you permission to edit
the file; it “elevates” your user status to “super user” or
“system administrator” without the need to log in as “root”,
which could potentially harm your system. The second one will be
[nautilus]. This is the part that will let you locate the file
itself. Nautilus is the “window system” Ubuntu uses to find and
manage files. Similar to “windows explorer” on windows. The
[nautilus] command simply invokes a window in which to find and view
the file we're looking for, but because it'll be preceded by the sudo
command, this window will allow you temporary “root” access thus
removing the security limitations we faced when we previously
accessed the file. In other words, we'll be able to edit
50-wacom.conf and
save any changes permanently. A word of caution however, opening this
window is like opening pandora's box. We will use it to fix the issue
at hand specifically, but should you fiddle with the wrong things
here, there will be breakage, you will cripple your system, and you
will pay the price, so do what you have to do and then quickly close
the darn thing.

Type
[sudo nautilus] and press enter. Terminal will then ask you for a password, this
should be the same password you use to log into your user account.
The password won't appear as you type; not even little asterisks, so
just type away and press enter. A bunch of information we don't care
about will appear in Terminal and finally the magic super window
opens. Now find the file and before you do anything to it, copy
it, and paste the copy in a safe place as a backup, just in case. Now
that the file is backed up, open the original and you will see the
save function is now available in Gedit. These are the things we have
to change:

The
last section under the comment line: [# N-Trig Duosense Electromagnetic Digitizer] has three parameters that have to be
changed. The first one is [Identifier "Wacom N-Trig class"];
the parameter has to be changed so it reflects the tablet information
found on the first Terminal window we opened. Once the change is
made, the line should read something like: [Identifier "Intuos2
6x8"]. The next lines reads: [MatchProduct "HID
1b96:0001|N-Trig Pen"]. Now do the same as in the previous
line; all you're doing is replacing the generic information between
the quotation marks with the specific data you found about your
tablet in the first Terminal window. The line should now read
similarly to: [MatchProduct "Intuos2 6x8"]. Remember,
the parameter [“Intuos2 6x8”] is only an example, you have
to use the information Terminal returned to you after you used the
[lsusb] command. The next line only needs changing if you are
having the same problem I was having, where both stylus buttons would
have the same function regardless of how I configured them in the
Ubuntu graphical configuration utility. If such is your case, then
all you have to do, is go to the line: [Option "Button2"
"3"] and add the word “Button” before the “3”
so it looks like this: [Option "Button2" "Button3"].
This made my pen buttons act again like two separate inputs, rather
than a single one. Finally, the last step is to add a new line right
under [Option "Button2" "Button3"], which
will tell the system when it should release the pen tip's click
event. The line should be similar to this: [Option "Threshold"
"150"]. The number can be basically any value, but
anywhere from 175 to 150 seems to work fine in my case.

All
that remains now is to save the changes. After that we can close
Gedit. Terminal windows are closed by typing [exit] and
pressing enter in each one; this will close the special Nautilus
window as well. Now just log out of Ubuntu and log back in (no need
to restart) and your tablet should work properly.

I
hope this has been helpful to some extent and that you've learned a
thing or two. I love Linux and I hope this post helps everyone who
reads it love Linux too. I also hope this can remind those a bit shy
about giving Linux a try that the only thing one should fear is fear
itself.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Decisions are the motor
force for a life rich with fulfillment. Life without choice stagnates
and degrades into a stalemate between our dreams and our fears. A
single decision can be the turning point where a lifetime wrought
with loss and pain can lead a new path toward great wealth in
happiness. To follow a prefabricated design for your life like a
mindless drone as you embrace a false sense of security, or to cast
all caution to the wind seeking the more adventurous alternative of
defining your own path, defying the conventional truths the world has
unconsciously subscribed to, can all be dependent on a single moment
of choice.

Most choices aren't at all
so grave, but I had reached a turning point and though I hadn't come
to fully understand all present possibilities, I at least understood
that to remain where I was wasn't an option. Windows had become too
unstable and it was getting increasingly difficult to have any work
done. It's a mystery inherent to the windows operating system. It
will slow down over time regardless of how much you work against it's
inevitability.

But what other
alternatives did I have on hand? All salvaging options had been
exhausted: mc afee, northon, avast, spybot, malwarebytes, etc..
Defrag and registry cleaning had become all but null. It was obvious,
I had to remove myself from the issue entirely. I had to either buy a
new system or replace my operating system. The later seemed more
economical. After looking at the price tag on the many different
versions of the same OS software however, I realized a fresh install
of windows seven would cost me almost as much as a new cheap notebook
would, and it'd be even more restrictive than my current version
already was. Besides, the new version inevitably inherits many of the
old one's flaws while creating some problems of it's own. Plus, I
didn't have enough money in any case. One of the many free operating
systems had to be the answer.

Free software ranks high
on my favorite things list. Most free software is great in my
experience, but I have been very careful. There are indeed some very
bad apples out there, you've been warned. But free software for word
processing and spreadsheets is one thing, a whole operating system
for free is another. Can they really be equal in quality and
functionality to some of the other GNU jewels I had grown so
dependent on? It's something I had been considering for several years
past, but it never reached critical status on the list of things that
I should be moved from the back of my head to the front. However,
if invention's mother is necessity, then choice is most certainly
it's sibling.

Among contenders like
freebsd and solaris, linux quickly climbed to victory, but as I tried
to go deeper and understand linux a bit better, I'm confronted by the
realization that linux isn't an OS specifically, rather linux is more
like a really good foundation upon which many great operating systems
are built.

So choice leads inexorably
to choice. Would you prefer mint or cinnamon? Linux comes in many OS
flavors, even the kernel itself has different ones! So when I finally
decide linux is the one, is when I have to again ask, which linux? A question that boils all my previous ramblings in this post down to a
single word: Ubuntu.

The solution to my great
conundrum had been answered, but I suppose as you're reading this,
the logical question you must be asking yourself at this time would
be the the good old why? Simple, the main reason being that its one
of the easiest linux “distributions” to transition to for long
time windows users like myself. More secondary reasons would be
perhaps, how sleek and sexy I found the working environment to be or
how quick and lightweight all the interactions with the system
seemed. Other reasons arose as I actually started playing around with
the OS, as ubuntu boots up so fast on my system that I don't even
care for standby mode anymore, and the fact that all the GNU apps I
use are native to linux and run many times faster than on windows don't hurt me none.
Also, it allows you to bend the rules of the OS and trully make it
your own. Despite being a newbie I've already done some minor changes
to the system to make it more personal. True, you can break it, if
you jump in the deep end too quickly, but the same can be said of any
other OS, but with windows you can never have this level of sheer
coolness. Just lookup “cool linux effects” on youtube and you'll
see what I mean.

So to conclude, change is
a good thing, it leads to adventure and discovery; antonyms of
boredom, and the better sources of inspiration for any artist. It can
solve problems and even prevent rust, so dare to try something
different for once, you might be pleasantly surprised!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Hello and welcome to the
first edition of DesignULX, the place for artists who like
doing things a bit differently and who may also believe that $1,300
for design software is at best unnecessary. This may even be the
place where people who think free software is the devil can learn
that there's a lot of really good software out there that isn't only
free of cost, but also free of viruses, spyware and other malware.
Also, this is the place for artist who have made malware itself
completely irrelevant as part of their work flow, and a nonissue in
the strictest sense of the word, since it is tailored for linux users,
though not exclusively, because all artists are welcome regardless of
what medium they use to express themselves.

Through this blog I hope
to invalidate some of the myths surrounding linux and help prove that
fear of linux has no tangible base whatsoever. Anyone can learn to
use linux and any artist can find linux to be an ideal environment
for all his or her creative endeavors. One of my favorite traits of
linux (ubuntu linux in my case) is the speed with which I can work;
the OS just stays out of your way. It is simply delightful.

I would also like to
cover solutions to some of the particular issues I've encountered
since I switched linux about six months ago, but with ubuntu 12.04 being
released as I'm writing this, I'd like to wait and see how things
change with the new version. I wish to avoid obsolete information at
all cost.

Well, that's it for this
short introduction, I'll be back soon with some “useful”
information in the hopes of helping those who are considering linux
as a possible foundation for their creative work make a better
informed decision. See you!